To add to my torment, I'm also whipping up some fun rolls that bring back all kinds of memories for me. This recipe has a fun history in how I discovered it. My in-laws were visiting from Australia and we decided to take them on a road trip to Yellowstone National Park. They are huge garage sale hounds and on the way back, in Ennis, Montana - we noticed a garage sale sign. My father in law, who wears prescription lenses, thinks buying old eyeglasses is the best thing since sliced bread. He will buy 2 or three pairs at garage sales and hang onto the frames, just in case he needs a new pair. I always tell him that they were probably the glasses of some dead guy, but that doesn't seem to rock his reality. I try not to tease him too much since I'm married to their only child!
Anyway, I found this old notebook at this garage sale and when I opened it, there were hundreds of old recipes, written on tattered pages, recipe cards, backs of envelopes and beautiful personalized stationary. It was $1.00 so I bought it and we left for home. While riding in the car, I started thumbing through it and realized I was sitting on a virtual treasure trove of family heirloom recipes. Many of the recipes were for families and average portions, but some I noticed were for massive portions - like 300 servings, etc. I quickly realized that I had purchased a recipe book from a school cafeteria lady!
Immediately, my mind raced as I recalled all the old memories from school lunchrooms. We didn't have alot of money growing up, so buying lunch was a once weekly treat. Most of the time our lunches were packed so to get a lunchroom meal was fantastic. One day I always asked for my lunch treat was on ROLL DAY! You know the ones, the gorgeous, yeasty, gargantuan rolls that were served with lunch. Oh they were good!! Always hot and loaded with flavor.
Lo and behold.. in my little notebook was a recipe for Yeast Rolls from Ennis School District, Madison County Montana. All I know is those kids were lucky to have these. I always wondered what it must have been like, cold as a witches nether-regions and the taste of a hot roll to warm the soul. I've made them many times and they are so good. This recipe is scaled back from a recipe that made 5 dozen rolls!
Lunchroom Lady Rolls
Courtesy: Ennis School District
Makes 16 rolls
INGREDIENTS:
4 Cups of flour (17 ounces) (I am assuming the ladies used AP Flour)
2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup melted shortening, cooled (may use butter)
1 3/4 cup warm milk
Unless you're using active dry yeast, just mix everything together. If you're using active dry yeast, mix the yeast in the milk until it begins to foam. In a Stand mixer bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Use a dough hook and mix for several minutes until the dough is smooth and silky. It will be quite sticky, but that's OK. It should pull away from the side of the mixing bowl, however. Add more flour if necessary in order to achieve that.
Let dough rise until doubled in a covered and greased bowl. Stir down dough and form into rolls with well-floured hands. Place them in a 9x13 metal pan, sprayed with PAM. Cover with a tea towel and let rise again. Bake at 425 degrees until browned nicely. Brush with butter and let cool on a wire rack.
Note: the lunchroom lady didn't say how long to bake them, so you be the judge. I usually let mine go until they reach 200 degrees by thermometer. Around 20 minutes.
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